This sign (click to enlarge) from the Pages Jaunes lets us know that Montréal’s got everything we need to get ready for a zombie invasion:
À Montréal, il y a 193 gyms et 5 surplus de l’armée pour vous préparer à une invasion de zombies.
In Montréal, there are 193 gyms and 5 army surplus stores to prepare you for a zombie invasion.
Good to know, I guess!
Gym in French is pronounced like its English equivalent. In the plural, don’t pronounce the final s.
In Québec, le gym is a business where you go to work out, like lift weights or use the stationary bikes. Some gyms even have tanning beds in them.
aller au gym
to go to the gym
Je vais au gym deux fois par semaine.
I go to the gym twice a week.
Un surplus de l’armée is a store that sells army material no longer needed by the military, like clothing and tools.
Down at the bottom of the sign it says:
Téléchargez l’appli et allez-y!
Download the app and go!
une app
une appli
une application
télécharger une app
to download an app
Pronunciation tip: The sign uses the expression il y a. Don’t forget that il y a is almost systematically pronounced as ya during regular (informal) conversations in French.
Do not forget to mention that might hear
– aller à la gym – meaning going to a gymnastic class
So gym might be masculine or feminine depending on the activity
What station did you find that in?
Guy-Concordia